Christmas is coming. Can you feel it in the air? I can, and I love that feeling. And it’s why I am here with you again, for a special edition of the Calm Christmas Podcast.  Rather than a whole series this year, to honour my own need for proper rest this winter I have created you a bumper special episode, to help you settle in to a cosy winter. This one is longer than usual at almost an hour, so get yourself a hot cuppa, or pull on your boots and head out for a lovely long walk as you listen. This episode includes the most important question to ask yourself right now, a host of journaling prompts, our nature corner, recipes, wellbeing ideas and tips for getting ahead for Christmas.

With inspiration from Nigel Slater, John D Burns, Edward Step, Melissa Harrison, Clare Foster, Andrew Montgomery, Lia Leendertz, Jody Vassallo, Mark Diacono, Keratin Niehoff, Laura Fleiter, James Martin, Paul Hollywood and BBC Good Food.

I hope this podcast will help you locate Christmas as an anchor in the stormy seas of winter in this world right now.

GIVEAWAY: To be in with the chance of winning a copy of Spice by Mark Diacono and a personalised, signed copy of Calm Christmas by Beth Kempton, enter on Instagram @bethkempton (deadline midnight UK time on Friday December 2)

 Take good care,
 Beth 

Featured in this episode:

- Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton (Piatkus) 

- The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater (4th Estate) 

- Wild Winter by John D Burns (Vertebrate Publishing) 

-  Edward Step in Nature Rambles: An Introduction to Country-lore, 1930, in Winter: An anthology for the changing seasons edited by Melissa Harrison (Elliott & Thompson)

- Winter Gardens by Clare Foster and Andrew Montgomery (Montgomery Press) 

- The Almanac 2022 by Lia Leendertz (Gaia) 

- The Yogic Kitchen by Jody Vassalo (HQ) 

- Spice: A cook’s companion by Mark Diacono (Quadrille) 

-  Advent by Kerstin Niehoff and Laura Fleiter (Murdoch) 

- The Fearless Writer Podcast 

- James Martin’s homemade mincemeat recipe / Paul Hollywood’s mince pie recipe 

Ingredients for recipes shared are available here. Transcript available here.